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Minister calls for rethink on ABC Tasmania job losses

MARK COLVIN: The Federal Communications Minister Stephen Conroy has called on the ABC to reconsider its decision to close its TV production unit in Hobart.

The ABC's managing director Mark Scott told staff today that the programs produced in Tasmania, Auction Room and Collectors, would not commissioned again.

TV production is being centralised in Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide to save money.

Mr Scott says it is more efficient to produce Tasmanian content with private companies, via a $1.5-million local production fund.

MARK SCOTT: The reality is that we can't afford to sustain big production teams all around the country. We used to have them in every state capital, we don't now.

We think we can probably only sustain three and it's very difficult to have the volume of production that you need to make it economic to sustain that.

We have finite money, there's a lot we're trying to do with it. We're trying to fulfil our charter and operate in the most effective way we can.

MARK COLVIN: But the Minister, Senator Conroy, is not impressed. He says it's an "extremely disappointing" decision.

He spoke to Alexandra Kirk.

STEPHEN CONROY: I'm urging the ABC to reconsider this decision. It's a very disappointing decision and of course I wanted to express my sympathy to the families and the people who are losing their jobs today. It's a very anxious time and difficult time for them but this is a very extremely disappointing decision by the ABC.

ALEXANDRA KIRK: The cuts were announced to ABC staff in Hobart this afternoon but it's the end of a very long cost cutting process; haven't you left it too late?

STEPHEN CONROY: Not at all. We've increased, in fact the biggest increase since the ABC was formed, in their training and funding so there was $165-million extra.

Now, yes they were starved under the Howard government but we've increased the funding. We have a new round of funding coming up in the tri-annual funding and cutting production facilities in Tasmania could result in a dramatic reduction in the telling of Tasmania's stories and that's something in my view that diminishes the ABC. It certainly short changes the people of Tasmania.

ALEXANDRA KIRK: But the managing director, Mark Scott, has said that the TV job cuts won't mean less Tasmanian content. That'll now be co-produced with private companies.

STEPHEN CONROY: Well the national identity of the ABC, and promoting the national identity and cultural diversity, doesn't mean, in my view, simply putting all of your production in Sydney and Melbourne.

ALEXANDRA KIRK: Do you believe that the ABC is breaching its charter?

STEPHEN CONROY: No, I would urge them to reconsider this decision. I don't believe that the ABC will ultimately meet their expectations to the Australian public if it continues to completely centralise its production facilities in Sydney and Melbourne.

ALEXANDRA KIRK: And if the storytelling isn't diminished, then you withdraw your criticism?

STEPHEN CONROY: I'd be more confident if there was production facilities in Tasmania.

ALEXANDRA KIRK: Mr Scott says that there's finite money; that the costs of running a TV production unit in Hobart can no longer be justified. Now the Government's just been through an exhaustive cost-cutting exercise to deliver a surplus; are you questioning the ABC's ability to do the same?

STEPHEN CONROY: The ultimate position of that argument is that all productions should be centralised in one point called Sydney and this is not an argument that a national broadcaster, which is charged with ensuring a sense of national identity, should be promoting.

The economic argument simply says, well let's put all production in one spot if you follow it to its ultimate end and this is not a position that I believe the ABC should adopt.

ALEXANDRA KIRK: On the broader issue of media scrutiny, you've been deliberating over the Finkelstein reforms for nine months now. The latest suggestion is that your response, the Government's response, will be out by year's end but not while Parliament is sitting.

How can you justify avoiding that maximum political scrutiny?

STEPHEN CONROY: Look I've read many stories and almost all of them had zero substance.

ALEXANDRA KIRK: When will you release your response?

STEPHEN CONROY: When the Cabinet has considered it and it's been to caucus.

ALEXANDRA KIRK: And it hasn't been to either of those two places?

STEPHEN CONROY: I'm not going to comment on how soon or how quickly that we'll be dealing with this. The Government will consider this as part of its ongoing discussions and when we're ready to make an announcement, we will.